Double tapered steel post



July 19, 1938. e. G. GREULICH DOUBLE TAPERED STEEL POST Filed July 25,193.6

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Patented July 19, 1938 t UNITED STATES PATENT :oF-Ficiz DOUBLE TAPEREDSTEEL POST Gerald G. Greulich, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application July 25, 1936, Serial No. 92,659

4 Claims. (01. 189-23) This invention relates to steel posts generallyfrom the point where the flanges coincide with and particularly to suchposts for highway the side Walls l toward its opposite end to proguards.duce a relatively narrow cross-sectional area to The principal object ofthe invention is to make facilitate driving of the post in the groundwithsuch a post in which the metal is distributed to out distortion ofthe metal and with a minimum provide the greatest stress resisting areaat the disturbance to the soil. The Wide areas I3 of the critical pointand also to secure a long life against lower section, being in contactwith the ground,

corrosion. maintain the lateral soil pressures to a relatively Otherobjects and advantages will become aplow value under impact, while thepiercing end parent as the description proceeds, in which: M of thesection 4 is so shaped that it facilitates 10 Figure 1 is a sideelevation of .the assembled post keeping the post in alignment duringthe driving showing the double thickness at the ground line, action andkeeps the force required for penetra- Figure 2 is an elevational view atright angles tion of the soil to a minimum. t Figure 1, The uppersection 2 is provided with the desired 1:, Figure 3 is a section on lineIII-III of Figure 1, bolt hole openings l5 for securing a cable (not inFigure 4 is a section on line IVIV of Figure 1, shown) on the post bymeans of any conventional Figure 5 is a section on line V-V of Figure 1,fastening device. I Figure 6 is a section on line VIVI of Figure 1, Thecomplementary sections 2 and 3 have their Figure 7 is a detailed sectionshowing the manends folded back upon said sections, as shown :0 ner ofconnecting the complementary sections toat l6 and I1, respectively, toprovide a double J9 gether. thickness of metal adjacent the ground line.The In the drawing, the post comprises complefolded back portions of theupper and lower post mentary sections including an upper section 2, asections are aligned to abut each other and are lower section 4 arrangedin abutting relation to welded together at the point of abutment in any51; form, at the ground line, an intermediate reconventional manner. Theassembled post con- 1.: enforced section 5 having a double thickness ofstruction is then coated with zinc or the like metal. which makes thesame highly impervious to cor- The upper section 2 comprises a conicalmemrosion at the ground line. ber gradually tapered throughout itslength and While I have shown and described the preferred 2.) providedWith flanges 3. These flanges 3 extend shape for. sections 2 and 4, itis to be clearly from the uppermost or free end of said sectionunderstood that the sections may be of other and taper toward the groundline to form an shapes; such as, for example, multi-sided conincreasedflange width 6 above and below the structions in cross-section toproduce a flat side ground line. for receiving the cable fastening meansinstead The lower section 4 comprises a cylindrically of the conicalshape, as shown in the drawing, shaped cross-sectional member providedwith The sections may be rectangular, hexagonal or a flanges 9increasing in width at the ground line, five-sided construction. Saidflan es tapering downwardly from the It is, therefore, apparent that apost constructground line to coincide with the side walls I!) ed inaccordance with the present invention has 46 0f Said Section 4 at apoint b w the ground ne, considerable advantages and design for use as aasclearly indicated in Figure 2 of the drawing. highway guard rail post,in that the greatest The complementary sections 2 and 4 of the post,metal area and greatest thickness is at the ground when abutted inend-to-end relationship with the line or point of greatest stress.Having the increas d fla e areas 5 d 9 at the ou d ne double thicknessat the ground line assures longer and welded together as indicated atI2, produce life against corrosion. a uni ry structure h vin thegreatest area and While I have shown and described one specificthickness of m a at the 'o line, thereby embodiment of the presentinvention, it will be assuring longer l e f t e post against corrosionunderstood that I do not wish to be limited exacta d Strains. The ppSection being eehieally ly thereto, since various modifications may beshaped, tapers toward its other end to pI'OdllCB a made withoutdeparting from the scope of the inr relatively smaller area at the topof the post where nti as defined by the following claims, the least areais needed. The top section 2 is I i large enough to accommodate alltypes of rail or 1. A steel post comprising an upper section, a cablefastenings and is easily visible. The lower lower section and a, groundengaging ection section being cylindrically p s cut away having a doublethickness of metal formed by folding the ends of said sections back onthemselves.

2. A steelpost comprising an upper section, a 7

selves each of said sections being substantially U-shaped incross-section.

4. A steel post comprising an upper section, a

lower section and a ground engaging section having a double thickness ofmetal formed by folding the abutting ends of said sections back onthemselves, said upper and lower sections being substantially U-shapedin cross-section and welded together at the point of abutment formed bythe double thickness of metal.

GERALD G. GREULICH.

